LOGIN“Fuck,” I thought, watching Theodore Hunt laugh smoke into the air like his lungs had personally offended him. “How did this idiot end up owning one of the largest media empires in America?”Across the terrace, Theodore leaned into the waitress serving their table, silver lighter dangling between his fingers while he smiled at her with all the dignity of a divorced politician on his third relapse.She couldn’t have been older than twenty-three.In this world, wealth rarely found the right people. It either landed in the laps of fools or stayed buried inside bloodlines too powerful to lose it. Mine was no exception.Washington had always been full of men like Theodore Hunt. Old, rich, rotting from the inside out, and somehow, they still held entire governments by the throat.The rooftop lounge overlooked half of D.C., marble fire pits flickering against glass railings while about three suited officials – whom may be his – drank themselves numb beneath the skyline. I’d heard Theodore w
A piercing mechanical beep abruptly blasted through the room.I jumped so hard my elbow nearly knocked one of the rectangular mirrors clean off the white-painted vanity.God.I still wasn’t used to this house talking to itself.The sleek black panel near the door blinked once before the automated voice echoed calmly through the suite.“Door open.”I barely had half a second to react before the door slid apart.Pearl stepped inside, and her eyes widened. Mine widened harder.Heat rushed violently into my face as I realized I was still standing there in nothing but a towel. I squeaked something horribly humiliating under my breath and virtually grabbed for the robe slung over the edge of the bed.“Oh my God –”I nearly tripped into the coffee table between me and the bed, trying to shove my arms through the sleeves.“My apologies, ma'am,” Pearl bowed instantly, horrified. “No, no – it’s fine,” I blurted, tying the robe much tighter than necessary. “I thought there’d be more… warning.”
His phone had been buzzing nonstop for the last ten minutes. Calls. Messages. More calls. The sound threaded through the penthouse like a mosquito that refused to die.As he walked into the room, another ping lit up from the wooden shelf tucked against the wall, the one designed like a miniature library. Dark oak, floating panels, shelves crowded with hardcovers only one person in the house ever bothered opening.The screen flashed again.Dominic slid one arm into his jacket before grabbing the phone. His thumb hovered briefly over the notifications until one message caught his eye.~‘Her travel preparations with him are set for Sicily. Jsyk Oriana will be there.’He stared at the words briefly. Then deleted the message.By the time his other arm slid fully into the jacket sleeve, the sound behind him pulled his attention ninety degrees.Steam spilled into the room.Her hair had darkened from the shower, damp strands clinging to her shoulders and collarbones. A towel sat quite low ag
Dominic’s huff traveled to Marc’s ears.Before she could bend her knees, Marc caught her hands and pulled her up. “Find the bathroom before I kick you out.”Abby scoffed, rolling her eyes.Marc had already moved past her before she staggered away, finding the bathroom.The second girl was worse. Barely conscious as her head lollied. Marc’s jaw grounded as he crouched in front of her, grabbing her discarded dress from the floor.“At least this one ends with them walking out,” he muttered under his breath as he helped pull it over her shoulders.“Cavolo,” (Heck,) Dominic dragged. “Che due palle!” (What a pain in the ass!) “You're just a killjoy.”Marc shot him a look.Dominic smirked.The second girl had opened her eyes now.He guided her up more carefully, steadying her when she stumbled. “Door’s that way,” he jerked his head as he walked her all the way to the door, opening it himself.“You can't stay here,” Marcello told her as he threw some money into her purse. “Shaw’s outside. H
Her fingers tangled lazily in the brunette’s hair before slowing near her mouth. She brushed her thumb over the smeared red lipstick there, pupils widening at the sight of it.A crooked grin spread across her face.The alcohol and whatever else they’d taken earlier dragged heavily at their movements. Her eyes kept fluttering between giggles, lashes resting briefly against her cheeks before lifting again.Then their mouths collided again, careless and messy, laughter breaking between kisses.Dominic stood beside them, watching the scene unfold through a haze of smoke.The brunette reached for him first. Her hand slid around the back of his neck, pulling him forward. Their perfume mixed in the air. The brunette’s lips barely left his while the other girl pressed closer against his side, her mouth trailing heated kisses along the lines of his nipples.“Name,” Dominic muttered against the brunette’s mouth.“Abby.” She smiled lazily against his lips.The other girl laughed softly from be
Her eyes.They were the exact shade of blue. But somewhat faded, as if they had been worn down over time and left to function anyway. Her pupils blown wider than the light justified, rimmed faintly red at the corners.They didn’t settle anywhere for long, skimming past me, over me, around me – never quite landing unless she forced them to.I read her the same way anyone would fucking read their holy books. Didn’t matter how it ended. Only that I could. And right now, I could see through her psychotic giggling. They were perhaps coping mechanisms.She leaned into me and the scent of caramel tangled in ‘coke’ wafted into my nostrils. My jaw clenched.I’d smelt that before. Too many times.It smoothed everything out, the fear, thought, resistance.I sat still as my gaze dragged over. Her fingers were magical as they trace tingling trails from the back, into my jacket and down my chest. She rounded me, and went on all fours, flashing her folds, which were red, swollen and dripping. Imm
For a heartbeat, I thought I was hallucinating. Then I answered and now, God help me, I wished I hadn’t.My phone was still on the floor where it slipped from my hand. My heart had skipped like it was trying to claw it way out of my chest. Before I could think, I flopped onto my bed, punching at th
“It might,” my voice was low. “It might also make him exile the people who gave him shelter. He’s not as blind as you think.”Her eyes darted to the boy, then to me, then back again. In that tiny flicker I saw the math she’d been doing in her head, what she could trade, how much time she had left,
My eyes located a young woman, hollowed out. Her cheekbones were too sharp, skin puckered and dry in places where it should have been soft. Her hair plastered to her scalp, sweat and oil making it glisten, her eyes were wide and raw, the whites rimmed pink, sleeplessness fossilized in her face. She
PRESENT The last week became a string of little victories and teeth-baring setbacks. We burned a safehouse in South Philly where we'd thought Vito hid his family, instead, we found out his associates kept false passports there. And that led us to intercept a courier for shipping crates to Milan fr







